Grand jury indicts former Gwinnett sheriff's major

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A grand jury indicted a former major in the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday.

Former Gwinnett County sheriff's Maj. Nick Neal is accused of using his position for personal financial gain. He faces several charges, including theft, identity fraud and false statements.

Based on a state investigation, District Attorney Danny Porter sought an indictment against him in 2012.

At the time, Porter said former county commissioner Shirley Lasseter provided a statement about Neal's relationship with a Sugar Hill towing company and his efforts to get the county contract with it, though that never panned out.

Porter said Lasseter also talked about Neal's involvement with a local auto parts distributor that sold the county less than $20,000 worth of brake parts.

"We believe we can show that he had an ownership in the distributorship, sold the parts, and he derived a profit from that,” Porter said.